Fostering Belonging Through Introducing Diverse Scientists in Undergraduate Neuroscience Lectures

Fostering a sense of belonging in the scientific community is one way to increase the retention of students who belong to groups that have been historically excluded in STEM. In the past several years, I have attempted this in my undergraduate Neurobiology course by introducing students to several neuroscientists with each topic we cover. For each scientist, I spend 2-5 minutes total giving biographical information, introducing an example of the type of research they do, and explaining how their research is related to the lecture topic. The neuroscientists I have included are diverse in racial/ethnic background, gender identity, nationality, sexual orientation, disabilities/abilities, career trajectory, and career stage. Based on an anonymous survey, students overwhelmingly appreciated this aspect of lectures, reported that they are more interested in course material, and were more aware of career options in neuroscience. Students belonging to a group that has been historically under-represented in the sciences were particularly likely to report that they felt more represented in science. Fifty-three percent reported that they are more likely to pursue a career related to neuroscience because of this component of the course. Students said that “meeting” neuroscientists helped them not only realize the diversity of neuroscientists themselves but also the diversity of sub-fields within neuroscience. They also felt more empowered to get involved in research because I included examples of scientists in earlier career stages, such as graduate students, that were more relatable. This is an easy way to make a course more inclusive and can be used in a wide variety of course formats and sizes. It is not time intensive, complements existing course topics, and has a positive impact on students’ classroom experience.